Stories

Two former clients share their stories of leaving polygamous communities and finding strength, healing, and a new beginning with support.

Growing up in a fundamentalist polygamist group, I was prepared for labor and subjugation, not the real world. By eighteen, I lacked a basic education and the social skills to protect myself from exploitation. College felt like an impossible world—but the heaviest burden wasn't the schoolwork; it was the trauma. Through Holding Out HELP, I found the life-saving therapy I needed to heal. This month, I graduate with honors.

We have an amazing lawyer who we use to help our clients in unique situations. This case was no exception.

Calvin came to us from the FLDS a few years ago. He was not in a good head space, and through therapy and support, he is now a thriving, independent young man.

I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for all that you have done to help me ever since I have found you. I came here with almost nothing; almost no money or official papers to prove that I am a U.S. citizen.

My journey with HOH began after I woke up one morning in agonizing tears and paralyzed by fear, guilt, and shame. The memories that woke me up were new to me and I did not understand what was going on in me.

It was the summer of 2012 and Nathan showed up after leaving the FLDS with his 5 children in tow. He had never taken care of his children alone and his wife, who had left years earlier could not be found. ⁠

Daniel, was born into the FLDS polygamist community. He was homeschooled until he was in the 7th grade and then worked all over the country doing construction as a child. When he was 16, his dad approached him and gave him an ultimatum...

Leah was 16 when she realized her life was going nowhere. She was not allowed a formal education and had only been homeschooled to the 7th grade. She longed for more. ⁠ She hitched a ride to St. George and jumped on a shuttle headed for Salt Lake City.

Joseph was only 13 when he mustered up the courage to flee from the shed he had been forced to live in for 3 months. You see, he wasn't worthy to be part of the family. He was considered rebellious for talking to apostates (those that were part of the religion but chose to leave).

Shortly after that, I was able to get onto my own two feet in my own place, working and all three of us receiving education, which I had never had in my life because of the lifestyle I was raised in. We are all three very healthy emotionally and physically and living an extremely happy, fulfilling and flourishing life I had never imagined living before leaving my situation. We could have never done this without HELP.

Samantha was married in the Jordan Temple into the mainstream Mormon Church. Fifteen years later, when she became pregnant with her seventh child, her husband started making jokes about polygamy. Soon after, the joking became serious discussions.

Locked in a shed with a thin blanket in below freezing temperatures, Isaiah sat by the fire that he had built from scraps, fully convinced he would be dead by morning. Two years earlier, at the age of 14, Isaiah had been sent to a “house of hiding” in Wyoming with other troubled and “unworthy” FLDS boys.